composition and properties of catalytic layers prepared by ion beam assisted deposition of dysprosium and platInum 
on carbon catalysts carriers

V.V. Poplavsky, A.V. Dorozhko, V.G. Matys
Belarusian State Technological University, Minsk, Belarus

Surface layers were prepared by IBAD of catalytic metal Pt and Dy as activating additive on the glassy carbon (GC), and carbon based Toray Carbon Fiber Paper TGP-H-060 T (Toray) and AVCarb® Carbon Fiber Paper Р50 (AVCarb) catalysts carriers. In used IBAD mode deposition of metal and mixing of the deposited layer with the substrate surface by accelerated (U = 5 kV) ions of the same metal have been carried, respectively, from neutral fraction of metal vapor and ionized plasma of vacuum pulsed electric arc. According to EDX, XRF and RBS (Fig. 1) results atoms of deposited metals, of carbon carriers and oxygen as impurity enter into the composition of layers. The thickness of the prepared multicomponent layers is ~30 nm; content of each of deposited metal atoms in the layers – ~2×1016 cm–2. 

Fig. 1. Rutherford backscattering spectra of 4He ions from surfaces of investigated samples. Е0 = 1,5 МэВ

Electrocatalysts with the obtained layers are active in the processes of oxidation of alcohols – methanol and ethanol, which are in the basis of the principle of operation of alternative hydrogen energy devices – direct methanol and ethanol fuel cells (DMFC, DEFC).